Punjab Stamp Duty Waiver: Anchor Units

Clause 12.9 of the Industrial and Business Development Policy 2022, Punjab, extends a full stamp duty waiver to Anchor Units on the purchase or lease of land and building for the project. The benefit is provided either as an exemption when registration takes place, or as a reimbursement in cases where the duty has already been discharged.

Anchor projects bring together sizeable land parcels. Since stamp duty on an industrial land transaction is levied as a percentage of the consideration, the absolute saving rises with the extent of the site. The relief also arrives at a stage of the project when no revenue has yet been generated.

1. Obtain Anchor Unit status for the project from the Government of Punjab, in accordance with the Industrial and Business Development Policy 2022. 2. Wherever feasible, submit the stamp duty exemption application prior to the execution of the sale or lease deed. 3. Upload the draft deed, the anchor approval and the land particulars on the Invest Punjab Business First portal. 4. In cases where duty has already been paid at the time of registration, lodge a reimbursement claim supported by the stamped instrument and the treasury challan. 5. Following verification, the department either issues the exemption certificate or disburses the refund.

Anchor Unit status is conferred by the State when a project receives approval. The exemption is then handled administratively: the department checks that the instrument pertains to the project's land or building, after which it either waives the duty or refunds it.